It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Is a weekly post to share what you recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this week. It’s hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate.

What I Read Last Week: 

This was really good, it’s a mystery legal thriller that I flew through.

I was a part of the blog tour for this one and really liked it.

I was a bit disappointed in this one.

I loved this domestic suspense, can’t wait to read her other work.

This was such a fun blog tour and brought me right back to my childhood.

This one was just ok for me.

Loved this one and can’t wait for the next book!

What I’m Currently Reading: 

Up Next: 



Hopefully one or two more but we’ll see how the week goes.
How was your week last week? What are you currently reading/plan on starting this week?

Review: Little Boy Blue by MJ Arlidge 

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Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Berkley NAL

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Goodreads blurb: 

Detective Inspector Helen Grace is no stranger to tragedy. But when a body is found in a Southampton nightclub, the death cuts too close to the bone. Hiding her personal connection to the victim – and a double-life which must remain secret at all costs – Helen becomes a woman possessed, working her team around the clock to chase down every lead. As the killer strikes again, the investigation takes its toll not only on Helen but also her senior officers. Tempers flare, friendships fray and Helen faces an impossible choice. Confess her sins and lose control of the case? Or keep living a lie, protecting her darkest secrets, and risk getting trapped in this tangled web? But whatever she does, this killer will not stop until the truth is revealed: there are some fates worse than death. 

Review: 

This is the first book that I’ve had the pleasure of reading in the Helen Grace series although it is the fifth installment. While I had absolutely no problem whatsoever reading this as a standalone, I’m still rather eager to go back and read the first four. Kate from Bibliophile Book Club and I figure we will have time in 2018 to schedule a buddy read, right Kate?! 😂😜

I loved the lightening fast pacing of this book, the chapters are brief but they beg the reader to just keep going for a few more chapters. Helen Grace finds herself struggling to solve her toughest case to date. Someone is targeting people from the BDSM community and killing them in a brutal fashion. Things are linked to her very private and personal life, but will she be able to solve the case while keeping her own secrets? Or will she have to reveal her personal connection to the case in order to catch this madman?

Everything about this book is dark, deadly, alarming and depraved. All of these things make for an enthralling read and one that I flew through rather quickly. I’m more hesitant than usual to discuss plot details as there are a number of twists and turns that I don’t want to spoil. The police are frustrated by dead end after dead end even after several very promising leads. The mounting exasperation adds to the tension and the book ends in a shocking cliffhanger that I never saw coming. I’m positively desperate to read the next book to see how it will all play out. If you’re a fan of crime fiction with a cast of characters that are brilliantly flawed and interesting, check this one out. Arlidge’s writing style is excellent and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat the entire time.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to Berkley NAL for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale 

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: August 1, 2016

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery

Goodreads blurb: 

Wall Street Journal & #1 Amazon Kindle Best Seller 

A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.
Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.
As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.
Review: 

Man, Lake Union is quickly becoming one of my go to publishers for fantastic and engaging books! I’ve been seriously impressed by the books I’ve read from them lately and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Everything We Keep has been getting so much hype for months now and after reading it, I can clearly see why. When this book showed up in my Fall Reading Challenge box from Booksparks I was thrilled! Lonsdale is a talented writer who wrote an incredible story with a heroine that I immediately connected with. 

Aimee was one of those characters that you’re instantly drawn to. Her fiancé, James is dead and instead of getting ready for her wedding day, she’s attending his funeral. Heartbreaking stuff and you can feel her pain come through the pages. She is grief stricken and lost with no idea how to move on with her life. Besides, how is she supposed to move on when she still has so many questions about what happened to James? She can’t shake the feeling that he’s still out there somewhere and when questions start to arise she has to decide how far she’s willing to go in order to uncover the truth. 

One of my favorite aspects of this book was learning about how James and Aimee fell in love through Aimee’s memories of their shared past. The two met when she was just eight and the tenderness of their love story was so sweet and endearing. Hearing about how much they loved each other really made you understand the depth of Aimee’s grief. I saw some reviewers that had issues with the way she went back and forth in terms of being able to move on with her life or not. The past kept dragging her back no matter how hard she tried to move forward. But her conflicting emotional upheaval only made her more real and honest to me. I can’t imagine how erratic my behavior would be if I were in her shoes so it was completely understandable to me.

Lonsdale managed to surprise me several times with plot twists and turns which impressed me. Aimee’s emotional journey to the truth was full of betrayal, lies, and secrets and the ending was a fantastic cliffhanger that only made me eager to read the next book in this series. Everything We Keep was a really admirable debut and I’ll be following Lonsdale’s work closely.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Booksparks for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Genre: YA/Mystery Thriller 

Goodreads blurb: 

Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.


Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.


Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.


Suddenly it’s clear; they’re being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion… 

Review: 

I kept having one thought come to mind while reading this, over and over again and it was this; I feel like I’m watching a typical teenage horror movie. You know how when you’re watching said movie and you end up yelling at the screen because the main character (s) keep making stupid decisions and walking into obvious traps? There was quite a bit of that happening here. Similar to the way I feel after watching one of these movies I can’t quite decide if I liked it or not. Were parts of this book enjoyable? Sure. Predictable? Sometimes. Creepy? Yes. Satisfying? That’s the part I’m having trouble nailing down.

Four teenagers are trapped in the woods with their teacher. They’ve been separated from the rest of the group and though they can’t totally tell what happened to their classmates, they can see that it’s not good. Weird and chilling things keep happening; they’re being drugged, their things are destroyed and someone is definitely watching them. While there were absolutely some disturbing moments, unfortunately they weren’t quite enough to get my pulse pounding. 

I feel like this yet another case where I’m just the wrong reader for this book. There was nothing inherently wrong here, Richards is a good writer and the plot was alright. The pacing was a little too frenzied for me, it made me feel anxious in a uncomfortable way. The characters were fine too, maybe not as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be, but otherwise good. I think if I had read this while I was a teenager I would have enjoyed it more. For readers first starting out with thrillers this would be a good place to begin, but for the more seasoned thriller readers I would pass on this one.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to Sourcebooks for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Saturday Shoutout: Q & A with Tiffany McDaniel

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I’m honored and delighted to have Tiffany McDaniel, the author of The Summer That Melted Everything here for a Q & A today. In case you missed it, here is my review. 


Q & A


1. What’s a typical writing day for you look like? Describe your perfect writing environment.

 

My typical writing day is pretty simple. I never outline or plan ahead. For me, making notes or directing the story beforehand can domesticate it in a way that gives the story permission to lose its natural essence. My stories evolve with each new word and page that I write. I never know who the characters will ultimately become, what decisions they will make, or how the final page will come to a close, but I like that element of surprise. Sometimes I write during the day, others times during the night. It’s all about fitting it in with the rest of life around it. My writing environment now is I just write at the desk in the corner of my bedroom. For many years I didn’t have a desk or a chair, so I wrote on my bed with the laptop on my lap. I suppose my perfect writing environment is somewhere peaceful and quite. Perhaps a place of the same Gothic landscape and Gothic comforts that are in my mind.

 



2. How did you get started writing? Is it something you’ve always loved?


Writing is something I have always loved. I remember as a child having that desire to pick up the crayon and write what was in my head. I would make homemade books out of notebook paper and my mother’s crochet yarn if I wanted to be fancy. It was notebook paper and the stapler if I didn’t have anything else. I started out writing poems, plays, and short stories. It wouldn’t be until I was eighteen that I wrote my first novel. I wouldn’t get a contract until I was twenty-nine for The Summer that Melted Everything, which is my fifth or sixth novel written. Getting published wasn’t an easy feat, at least not for me. It was eleven years of rejection and perseverance. But through all the frustration and heartbreak, I never lost my love of writing.   


3. Who are your favorite writers/inspirations?

I grew up reading R.L. Stine. His Goosebumps and Fear Street series were the perfect partner to my coming of age. I still love his books to this day. I didn’t read the literary heavyweights until I was much older. I was in my late twenties before I read Shirley Jackson, who is one of my favorite authors. As is Ray Bradbury, Donna Tartt, and the poet James Wright, who was from my land of Ohio.    


4. Anything you can tell us about upcoming projects? 

I have eight completed novels. Marketing The Summer that Melted Everything has meant I haven’t had much time to write, but my favorite of the novels I have written is When Lions Stood as Men. It’s about a Jewish brother and sister who escape Nazi Germany, flee across the Atlantic Ocean, and end up in Breathed, Ohio. While there they build their own camp of judgment up in the hills where they must try to survive not only their guilt but also survive each other. 

 

5. Normally how do you develop plots/characters? Brief us on your process.

I try to keep the process really simple. I don’t draft the characters out beforehand or outline them. Really their development comes with each new word I type. The Summer that Melted Everything deals with some heavy issues like racism and homophobia, but these were things that rose naturally as the characters developed. With issues like these it’s important to not force them into the story, but rather allow the issues to naturally exist, if they are to exist at all. Starting out I see the characters in my mind pretty clearly, but aside from their physical appearance, who they are is something I have yet to find out. The plot develops the same way the characters do. One word and one page at a time.    


6. Favorite character from one of your own novels? 

That’s difficult to say a favorite because I love them all, but one of my favorite characters to write was Grand. He’s Fielding’s older brother and he’s one of those characters that I instantly fell for. Grand’s struggle as a character is universal. I think many of us, if not all of us, at some point in our lives struggle with knowing who we are. These sorts of characters that deal with things we can all relate to are characters we can all recognize, and in that recognition, it’s easy to understand and love them.   


7. Preferred method for readers to contact you? 

I don’t have social media, but readers can visit my author website at:

http://www.tiffanymcdaniel.com

I do personally respond to the emails I receive through my website. Having that connection to readers is important. We’re not authors on our own, nor do we have careers by ourselves. We are authors because readers buy and read our books and the least an author can do is to give the reader some of your time when the reader has given you their time reading your book. 


8. On average, how long does it take you to write a book? 

For the eight novels I have written thus far they took a month to write. I wrote one of those in eight days. I doubt that will happen again. I spent a lot of years trying to get the first book published and when I realized that first book wasn’t going to be my first published novel, I got to work writing all the novels I should have been writing during the course of those years devoted to the first novel. So within two years I wrote the eight novels and it was out of that batch that The Summer that Melted Everything came.     


10. Which one of your characters do you relate to the most? 

I think a little bit of the author is in each of the characters. Hopefully there’s more of me in the heroes than there is in the villains. 

 

11. If writing wasn’t your career what would you be doing?

I’ve always been interested in archaeology and wanted to run around the world with Indiana Jones. It would have been great to have been there with Howard Carter, curse or not, when he opened King Tutankhamen’s tomb. I also love the workings of the universe of the stars. If I weren’t afraid of the rocket ship ride into space I think being an astronaut wouldn’t be a bad life. If I were better with numbers and figures perhaps a cosmologist or astrophysicist. There’s also marine biology and studying the ocean depths. What I love about writing is that I can be all these things within a story.   


12. What’s the best compliment that you’ve received about your work? 

I’ve been fortunate to receive so many undeserving compliments for sure, but it’s always a compliment when a reader says they love the book. It’s a simple phrase but really that’s all you need to hear right there.    

About the author:


(Photo credit JENNIFER MCDANIEL 2016)

An Ohio native, Tiffany McDaniel’s writing is inspired by the rolling hills and buckeye woods of the land she knows. She is also a poet, playwright, screenwriter, and artist. The Summer that Melted Everything is her debut novel. 

Huge thanks to Tiffany for joining me today! 

Blog Tour/Review: The Twits by Roald Dahl

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: 1980

Genre: Children’s 

Publisher: Puffin

Goodreads blurb: 

How do you outwit a Twit? Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything — except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don’t just want out, they want revenge.

Review: 

Oh how this book brought me back to my childhood! As a young reader I absolutely loved Roald Dahl and it’s been years since I’ve read one of his books. My oldest daughter, who is seven, read her first Dahl book last year at school. She read the BFG and ever since she talked to me about how much she loved it I’ve been wanting to reread one of his books to see if the magic I remember from my childhood is still there. (It totally is!) When I saw that The Irish Banana was organizing a book tour to celebrate Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday I knew I had to participate! 

The Twits is classic Dahl filled with lots of silliness that any kid is sure to love. Mr. and Mrs. Twit are absolutely vile people who delight in being plain mean, especially to each other. They love to play  evil pranks on each other and delight in the discomfort of others. Though they enjoy terrorizing each other, they are at their happiest when they team up to wreak havoc on the poor souls they choose to target. They torture their family of pet monkeys by making them stand on their heads for hours and they trap birds on tree branches using glue so they can make their favorite meal of bird pie. The illustrations in this book compliment the funny and outrageous plot and the wackiness never stops. I can’t wait to read this one with my daughters, I think they will be both horrified and tickled by the Twits antics.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to The Irish Banana for my review copy and for allowing me to participate in this amazingly fun blog tour!

About the Author: 


About ROALD DAHL:

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was one of the world’s most imaginative, successful and beloved storytellers. He was born in Wales of Norwegian parents and spent much of his childhood in England. After establishing himself as a writer for adults with short story collections such as Kiss Kiss and Tales of the Unexpected, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living with his family in both the U.S. and in England. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

 

Roald Dahl’s first children’s story, The Gremlins, was a story about little creatures that were responsible for the various mechanical failures on airplanes. The Gremlins came to the attention of both First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who loved to read the story to her grandchildren, and Walt Disney, with whom Roald Dahl had discussions about the production of a movie.


 

Roald Dahl was inspired by American culture and by many of the most quintessential American landmarks to write some of his most memorable passages, such as the thrilling final scenes in James and the Giant Peach – when the peach lands on the Empire State Building! Upon the publication of James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl began work on the story that would later be published as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and today, Roald Dahl’s stories are available in 58 languages and, by a conservative estimate, have sold more than 200 million copies.

Roald Dahl also enjoyed great success for the screenplays he wrote for both the James Bond film You Only Live Twice in 1967 and for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, released one year later, which went on to become a beloved family film. Roald Dahl’s popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans. 


Two charities have been founded in Roald Dahl’s memory: the first charity, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, created in 1991, focuses on making life better for seriously ill children through the funding of specialist nurses, innovative medical training, hospitals, and individual families across the UK.

 

The second charity, The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre – a unique cultural, literary and education hub – opened in June 2005 in Great Missenden where Roald Dahl lived and wrote many of his best-loved works. 10% of income from Roald Dahl books and adaptations are donated to the two Roald Dahl charities.

 

On September 13, 2006, the first national Roald Dahl Day was celebrated, on what would have been the author’s 90th birthday. The event proved such a success that Roald Dahl Day is now marked annually all over the world. September 13, 2016 is Roald Dahl 100, marking 100 years since the birth of the world’s number one storyteller. There will be celebrations for Roald Dahl 100 throughout 2016, delivering a year packed with gloriumptious treats and surprises for everyone.

Giveaway:

1 winner can pick 5 books from the Roald Dahl collection! US Only

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

September Wrap Up

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I started out September with a bang with this one!

I adored this contemporary romance, such a fun series! 

This one was just ok for me, I liked the storyline and loathed the characters.


This one was a pleasant surprise as I wasn’t too sure how I would feel after seeing some other reviews.

I liked this one even though it was less thrilling than I anticipated.

This one kept me up late at night and was very, very, addicting!

This one was a dark and gruesome thriller, really good!

I liked this one and was really pleased this is the first in a long series.


Only Daughter fell flat for me.


I was a part of the blog tour for this cute cozy mystery.


This one surprised me in a good way!

This was absolutely brilliant, one of my top reads this year.

This was a simply lovely book! Carol Wyer is also so sweet and dear, I can see why her characters are also so kind.

I’m a huge fan of Buchanan and this was another great read.


This was a fun read to put you in a festive mood!


Karin Slaughter is one of my favorite authors and this book just shows me why.


This was a great read with plenty of surprises.

I was blown away by this one. It’s a must read.

This one was fantastic and so different!

This one was forgettable and only mildly entertaining.

This was was cute, I just didn’t really connect with it.


I’m a huge fan of this series and loved the audiobook of the latest installment.

I loved this one and am definitely going to be checking out Eskens other work.

I participated in the blog tour for this one and really liked this book.

This one fell a little flat for me I’m afraid, but I’m still excited to continue on with the series.

And finally I loved this one, great way to finish off the month!
Overall all September was a fantastic month on Novelgossip! I read some awesome books and had some great posts besides book reviews. I participated in several blog tours, which I love! And I had the pleasure of having a few great authors here for Q & A’s. I’ll link them below in case you missed them. I also started a Saturday Shoutout series where I highlight people, books and other bloggers that I feel deserve some special recognition. 

Q & A’s:

Eva Lesko Natiello author of The Memory Box
Molly McAdams author of Show Me How
Katie Fforde author of Recipe for Love
Paula Garner author of Phantom Limbs 
Claire Seeber author of The Stepmother and my first Saturday Shoutout! 
I also participated in #30Authors and had the pleasure of hosting author Colleen Shogan. There’s still a little time to enter the giveaway for a chance to win her latest book, Homicide in the House.

October is jam packed and I have some exciting stuff planned for the month that I can’t wait to share with you guys! How was September for you?! 

Review: Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller 

Goodreads blurb:

Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to the idyllic Mount Adams district of Cincinnati, hoping to evade the stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game. Since Julie doesn’t know anyone in her new town, when she meets her neighbor John Dunbar, their instant connection brings measured hope for a new beginning. But she never imagines that a simple, benign conversation with him could set her life spinning so far off course.


After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the target of increasingly unsettling harassment. Has Julie’s stalker found her, or are her neighbors out to get her, too? As tension in the neighborhood rises, new friends turn into enemies, and the results are deadly. 

Review: 

Have you ever read a book by a new to you author then immediately felt the need to rush out and buy all their previous work? It has only happened to me a few times in the past, most notably with Karin Slaughter and Harlan Coben, but now I’m adding Catherine McKenzie to that list. I had really high hopes for Fractured based on the blurb alone and I’m so pleased to say that it exceeded my expectations.

Julie is a bestselling author trying to escape a stalker gone too far. Her and her family move to a picturesque new suburb in Cincinnati to try and find their fresh start. Julie finds that fitting into her neighborhoods social circle is more difficult than she anticipated and she really only connects with her neighbor, John.  This book uses one of my favorite storytelling approaches, that of flashing back from events in the past to present day and is narrated by both Julie and John. It begins at present day and slowly goes hour by hour through one day, while the past is revealed over the course of the previous year. It’s apparent right from the start that something awful has happened, but McKenzie withholds all pertinent information until the very end keeping the reader primarily in the dark. This approach usually works for me as I’m inherently nosy and it makes me desperate to know what really happened.

Though I’m sadly not a part of any book clubs I found myself thinking that Fractured would be a perfect selection for one. There are so many things a group could discuss, from the cast of characters that you love to hate, especially the queen bee of the neighborhood, Cindy, to the questions this book prompts, like is Julie likable or not? Is there really something off about her? Or is she truly just constantly thrust unwillingly into the role of the victim? The power of individual choices is also very much at play here, it could spawn a great discussion about whether or not these choices really have the power to impact people’s lives.

I was reminded of two books while reading this, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard. Both books nailed domestic suspense and I feel McKenzie did the same with this one. This book consumed me in the same manner as the other two and despite having a busy schedule I still managed to finish it in a day, I just had to know how it would all end and what event could possibly effect the lives of so many people. It was a page turning, tightly wound narrative dripping with tension. McKenzie is releasing The Murder Game writing as Julie Apple in November, isn’t that clever? I know after reading this I’m dying to get my hands on that one.

Overall rating: 5/5

Huge thanks to Kathleen Zrelack at Goldberg McDuffie Communications for my review copy.

Review: Vigilante by Kerry Wilkinson 

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: September 29, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Goodreads blurb: 

A killer behind bars is still killing… 


When the body of a man is discovered with multiple stab wounds, Detective Jessica Daniel thinks it could be another drug-related murder. But then two more victims are found with similar markings. Each of the men were hardened criminals but is that the only link?   

  

As Jessica is drawn into her most difficult case yet, dead bodies continue to pile up and the media go to town with headlines of a ‘Vigilante’ on the streets. 

  

Then forensics match blood from the killer to a man already behind bars: Donald McKenna. Serving life in prison, Donald is a dangerous individual with the perfect alibi. But Jessica is sure he’s lying – and that he’s not the only one. 

  

Can she catch a ruthless killer before he takes his next victim? And as Jessica inches nearer to the truth, can she protect those closest to her? 

  

The second novel in the bestselling Detective Jessica Daniel series is a chilling serial killer thriller full of twists and turns. 

Review: 

This is the second book in a series and I rather liked the first one, if you missed it you can find my review of The Killer Inside here. While this one was an overall enjoyable read, I’m afraid there was a bit of a sophomore slump here and I can’t say I liked Vigilante as much as the first book.

The premise was promising, I was interested in the idea of a killer who was already locked up. How is that even possible?! It’s up to Jessica Daniel to unravel the mystery. I was happy to revisit her character as I was a fan of hers after being introduced to her in the first book. She’s the same old gutsy and ambitious girl who I loved and she has her work cut out for her again. This case is full of dead ends and improbable scenarios, but all physical evidence points to Dennis McKenna being the killer. But how can he possibly be guilty when he’s currently serving a life sentence behind bars?

I think my biggest problem here was that once things started to fall into place and Jess was able to fit puzzle pieces together the explanation was really far fetched. It wasn’t even a few moments where the reader has to suspend disbelief, (I actually have no problem doing that) it kept reminding me of outlandish soap opera storylines where things are explained by someone coming back from the dead or something similar. No, that’s not exactly what happened here, but it’s not too far off, but as usual I don’t want to give away major plot points.

The saving grace for me was Jess. I really like her as a lead character and I can’t help myself  from rooting for her even when she’s behaving badly. It’s her compassionate side that really wins me over, she truly cares about her victims families and they are the driving force behind her desire to bring killers to justice. Despite my disappointment with this one, I’m still looking forward to reading more of this series. It’s a massive hit in the UK so I’m confident that it only gets better.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Top 5 Wednesday 

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Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly post that is hosted by Sam from Thoughts On Tomes and there is also a Goodreads group where you can find more information. This weeks topic is characters you wouldn’t want to trade places with.

This weeks topic is: 

September 28: Gateway Books to Your Favorite Genre 

–What books do you think are good to introduce people to your favorite genre? If you have more than one favorite genre, feel free to split it up to cover both. 

Though I read several different genres I’m going to stick with Mystery/Thriller since it’s my go to. Some may be psychological thrillers or domestic suspense, but they all fall under the umbrella of Mystery/Thriller. I’m also going to add the blurb for each of my picks so you can get a little taste of what it’s about. I’m focusing more on books released within the past few years because it’s already really hard for me to choose just fine books!

Gateway books to my favorite genre: 


Goodreads blurb: 

#1 internationally bestselling author Karin Slaughter returns with a sophisticated and chilling psychological thriller of dangerous secrets, cold vengeance, and unexpected absolution, in which two estranged sisters must come together to find truth about two harrowing tragedies, twenty years apart, that devastate their lives.


Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.


More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that’s cruelly ripped open when Claire’s husband is killed.


The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.


Powerful, poignant, and utterly gripping, packed with indelible characters and unforgettable twists, Pretty Girls is a masterful thriller from one of the finest suspense writers working today. 

This was my first Karin Slaughter book and I became an instant fan. I immediately went and read all of her previous work, and though I love her series, I think this one is a fantastic way to experience Slaughter’s work for the first time. I love her gritty and violent writing style and she always packs a punch with her twists.


Goodreads blurb: 

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.


Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.


Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them. 

I am a huge Harlan Coben fan and have liked, if not loved every single one of his books. The twists and turns in this one are nonstop all the way up to the end.


Goodreads blurb: 

In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever.


Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . . 

Apart from the blurb I don’t want to reveal too much, but this one had one of my favorite twists ever. Totally gasp worthy.


Goodreads blurb: 

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 

I don’t think my list would be complete without this one. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve at least heard of this, if not read it for yourself. Often imitated, never duplicated, Gone Girl is hyped for a reason.


Goodreads blurb: 


From the author of the New York Times bestselling Spellman Files series, Lisa Lutz’s latest blistering thriller is about a woman who creates and sheds new identities as she crisscrosses the country to escape her past: you’ll want to buckle up for the ride!


In case you were wondering, I didn’t do it. I didn’t have anything to do with Frank’s death. I don’t have an alibi, so you’ll have to take my word for it…


Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It’s not the first time.


She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive’s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy―and dangerous―alliance is born.


It’s almost impossible to live off the grid today, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret…can she outrun her past?


With heart-stopping escapes and devious deceptions, The Passenger is an amazing psychological thriller about defining yourself while you pursue your path to survival. One thing is certain: the ride will leave you breathless. 

I devoured this book and still count it as one of my top reads of the past few years. It has everything I look for in a psychological thriller and I can’t say enough good things about it.
Have you read any of these? Do you agree or disagree with my picks? What books would you recommend in your preferred genre?